Avenue Road Medical Practice, 90 Avenue Road, Mosman, NSW

02 9968 2222

Consulting every Thursday, and one Saturday a month

If you want a GP who is open to complementary medicines, has a strong background in rigorous research, provides acupuncture services, and is committed to evidence-based medicine, then you have come to the right place. I call myself a “conventional integrative GP”. I do everything that a conventional GP does, and enjoy this thoroughly. I also offer a broader approach to healthcare, because of expertise that conventional GPs may not have had time to gain.

Specifically, I have trained extensively in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Acupuncture, and I offer these services when they are appropriate, and when there is evidence to support the use of acupuncture. (Bearing in mind that acupuncture is a safe choice compared to many other treatments, including herbal treatments).

I have also had training in nutritional medicine and read widely on healthy eating. However, my approach is not to prescribe a whole heap of supplements or promote the use of “superfoods” and fad diets; I have a “keep it simple” approach with plenty of vegetables, natural goodies such as omega-3’s from fish, magnesium, potassium and anti-oxidants from veggies and fruit, bowel- and cholesterol-friendly fibre, and limiting sugar, processed foods and simple carbohydrates. Prevention of chronic disease (heart disease, cancer, diabetes) is my key aim. I do however keep up with the latest findings from research such as the impact of our diet on our moods and on the “good bacteria” in our guts.

I have been a medical researcher for ten years, and can help you sift through the tonnes of “information” that is out there on the internet and tell you what you should be spending your time and money on, and what you shouldn’t. I have access to wonderful databases where I can look up all the possible side effects of the supplements you are on, check the doses, check if they are worthwhile or if you should finish the bottle and not buy another one. I also check for interactions with medications, foods and other supplements.

I take all of my advice personally, that means to say I try my best to practise what I preach, and in fact only try to preach what I practise! Much of my advice comes from personal experience from books or techniques I have found useful. However, I also know from years of experience that every individual is…an individual, and there is no “one size fits all” model.

General practice is meant to be holistic, so I hesitate in trying to differentiate myself as a “holistic” doctor. I will make a great effort to understand how your lifestyle impacts on your health, and help you make changes so you can achieve the best you can be.

What I offer

All the usual GP stuff like

Pap smears

Blood pressure management

Cholesterol management (read my own story about my battle with cholesterol here)

acupuncture (including laser or needle-less acupuncture) (See this list for the conditions that can be treated with acupuncture)

an assessment of your nutritional health

stress management

mind-body interventions like mindfulness meditation

lifestyle management (especially with a focus on achieving the physical activity that you need for your health)

other complementary medicines such as yoga, herbal medicines, supplements when appropriate and evidence-based

What I don’t offer

The following treatments or diagnoses are very popular and you might have read a lot about them on the internet or heard about them from friends. They may also have helped you a great deal. However, the science behind their safety and effectiveness is not quite there yet, and while I am very happy to advise you on these, I generally do not offer these as my regular services:

Bioidentical hormone therapy

“Lyme disease”

“Adrenal depletion” (Here I can help you with managing stress which might be causing you ill health)

Homeopathy

GAPS diet

Intravenous vitamin injections

I am here to help you navigate through a confusing plethora of information, much of it driven by financial incentives.

Occasionally I will offer tests that are not considered “conventional”, such as Complete Digestive Stool Analyses, however these tests will not be billed under Medicare and a private fee has to be paid to the pathology companies. I will also advise you if the evidence is lacking on how useful or accurate these tests are.

I do not have any financial interest in any wellness companies or in the complementary and alternative medicine sector except for acting as an Advisory Board Member for the Blackmores Research Institute (I receive an honorarium for attending meetings to advise on research and GP engagement; I have no connection with the commercial aspects at Blackmores). I spend most of my week as a clinical researcher. You can be assured that my advice to you is without bias.

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About Dr Carolyn Ee

Carolyn is a Sydney-based GP and acupuncturist/Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who has devoted her career to finding the evidence for health and happiness. She was the first practising medical doctor in Australia to also qualify as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. She is a post-doctoral researcher at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine and the Chair of the Integrative Medicine Working Group at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Her previous work on acupuncture for menopause was published in a high-impact internal medicine journal. She has appeared on radio and on national television. Carolyn continues to work as a clinician alongside her research work, and is on a journey to find the best way to combine a career and family. She moved in early 2016 from Melbourne to the Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband and two young children, and enjoys running, high-intensity-interval training, goal-setting, and the occasional eating of cupcakes.